My wife said I had to write this, and she is (of course) correct!
We as pastors and techies in the church are always trying to get things for cheap or free. There is nothing wrong with that and it is a form of good stewardship. Why pay for it if someone is giving it away? Well, the answer for that question is, "There is no such thing as a free lunch". Simply put, there is always a cost. Someone is always trying to entice you to do something and get money from you, one way or another even if it is not immediately obvious. In the world of the Web, this often translates to advertising dollars.
"Pay-per-click" is one such scheme. Every time you see an ad on the web and click on it, someone makes a quick half-penny or so. Add up all those fractions of a penny, and someone just made a nice paycheck. Not so bad, right? Just keep an eye on 'em!
In our first church I set up our website with a free service provider. The site looked good and was a good place to send people who wanted to know more. The site started with an 'enhanced' account with no banner ads for 3 months, which I promptly forgot about. After the three months, with no payments, it reverted to the 'free, banner-supported' format. One day I got a call from one of our church members who went on the website and wanted to know why we were running banners for casinos and gambling! I have heard even worse stories, from people who ended up running a website with banner ads for porn sites. Not the kind of image you want to portray.
Check your free website provider and see how they determine what banner ads might be run on your site. It might be worth the $3 a month to buy the 'banner-free' option.
Just a word to the wise....
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Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Article: Using "Groups" software effectively
Groups? Groups! What is a Group, anyway, and why should I use one?
Simply speaking, a Group is an online software product that allows people with a common interest to communicate and coordinate activities of one kind or another. What kind of activities? Anything from disease management (colitis and crohns at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colitiscrohns/), freecycling (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Franklin_County_Freecycle/), sports (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Red_Sox_Chat) or church events (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smallchurches/). You'll notice that each of the groups I've highlighted here comes from the Yahoo!Groups site. There are others, notably Google, but this is the one I choose most often to use.
The benefits to the group using this software is quite extensive. Here are some of the features that you can utilize.
Another easy project would be to use the email distribution capability to send out eNewsletters for your church members with email. The obvious limitation here is that anyone participating MUST have an email address. So even though you might send out newsletters via a Group, you'll probably still send some out in paper format.
A missions trip could connect all the participants with deadlines noted on the calendar and reminders sent out, along with needed paperwork stored on the Yahoo server. That way no one would lose the information needed and be hunting for it at the last minute. A centralized repository would eliminate all of that.
How much does it cost? (I can hear you asking this one.) Obviously, most churches can't afford alot of extra outlay. The good news is that many of these providers cover their costs through on-site banner ads, so there is no cost to the user. All you have to do to be able to use Yahoo!Groups is to sign up for a Yahoo account. This opens up the whole suite of software to you. The people who join your group do NOT have to have a Yahoo ID, just a valid email address.
So what are you waiting for? Give it a try!
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Simply speaking, a Group is an online software product that allows people with a common interest to communicate and coordinate activities of one kind or another. What kind of activities? Anything from disease management (colitis and crohns at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colitiscrohns/), freecycling (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Franklin_County_Freecycle/), sports (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Red_Sox_Chat) or church events (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smallchurches/). You'll notice that each of the groups I've highlighted here comes from the Yahoo!Groups site. There are others, notably Google, but this is the one I choose most often to use.
The benefits to the group using this software is quite extensive. Here are some of the features that you can utilize.
- Calendar function with email reminders
- Archived discussion threads
- Ability to post photo albums
- Email distribution list management (mail one note to the site, which then distributes it to all members)
- Simple flat file database capability...maintain address books, etc.
- Ability to store useful files and documents
- Generate polls and surveys
Another easy project would be to use the email distribution capability to send out eNewsletters for your church members with email. The obvious limitation here is that anyone participating MUST have an email address. So even though you might send out newsletters via a Group, you'll probably still send some out in paper format.
A missions trip could connect all the participants with deadlines noted on the calendar and reminders sent out, along with needed paperwork stored on the Yahoo server. That way no one would lose the information needed and be hunting for it at the last minute. A centralized repository would eliminate all of that.
How much does it cost? (I can hear you asking this one.) Obviously, most churches can't afford alot of extra outlay. The good news is that many of these providers cover their costs through on-site banner ads, so there is no cost to the user. All you have to do to be able to use Yahoo!Groups is to sign up for a Yahoo account. This opens up the whole suite of software to you. The people who join your group do NOT have to have a Yahoo ID, just a valid email address.
So what are you waiting for? Give it a try!
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Thursday, July 9, 2009
Article: The Virtual Office
“Virtual Office”? What’s that? A new game or maybe a competing product for Microsoft’s Office? No, but it is a technology concept many pastors are becoming more familiar with.
It used to be that a pastor had an office at the church and was able to arrange appointments and meetings by having people drop in. Nowadays, especially with the prevalence of the bivocational pastor and shared spaces, pastors find that they must be able to work in some unusual locations. Perhaps they are meeting with someone at the local McDonalds, or in StarBucks. Maybe there is a public library close at hand or even a rest stop along a highway. So they have to carry their offices around with them, so to speak.
The first time I really remember encountering this concept was in the late 1990’s at a conference in New Hampshire. The guest speaker was Rev. Ralph Moore, of Hope Chapel in Hawaii, a prominent authority in Churchplanting. I had the privilege of sitting with him at lunch and he explained to us that he was never absent from his pulpit on Sunday, but that he used a PDA to write his sermons while on the road. He would email the completed text to his secretary in Hawaii, who would print it out for him, When he arrived back in his office a the end of the week it was sitting on his desk waiting for him.
What does it take to do ministry today? What tools do you need? How much space does it take up and how difficult is it to set up and take down? In my situation I have an old AST soft-sided laptop case which has the following items in it.
My PDA, a Palm Tungsten. The Infrared Wireless Keyboard for the PDA. Extra AA batteries and device chargers. My cell phone and Bluetooth earphone . A hymnal and my Bible. A notepad, business cards, pencils and a pen. A small selection of cards, envelopes and stamps. There you have it. An office which weighs under 5 pounds, fits in a small laptop case, is quick to set up and quick to take down.
The typical tools a pastor might use are growing smaller and more convenient. This has ‘saved my bacon’ more than once. On one particular occasion I was bringing our teens on a Saturday to a Bible Quizzing Tournament about 45 minutes away, and was intending to swing by home and work on finalizing arrangements for Sunday, then coming back to pick them up. Upon reaching our destination we literally had a blizzard, and I knew that my plans were not going to work. I had my virtual office with me and all my files loaded, so I found a quiet corner and got to work. By the time our tournament was done, all my work was completed and I just had to go home and print off a few documents.
Some of the newer tools are becoming even more useful and more powerful. Netbooks are increasing in popularity (more on these later), allowing easy connection to the internet through WiFi, a built-in keyboard and more laptop-like power and speed. Laptops themselves are smaller and more powerful. All-in-one handheld devices like the Blackberry are evolving into more useful platforms. WiFi hotspots are, in some areas, almost universally available to allow easy connections.
Do you have a ‘virtual office’? What do you see as being necessary to life on the road?
It used to be that a pastor had an office at the church and was able to arrange appointments and meetings by having people drop in. Nowadays, especially with the prevalence of the bivocational pastor and shared spaces, pastors find that they must be able to work in some unusual locations. Perhaps they are meeting with someone at the local McDonalds, or in StarBucks. Maybe there is a public library close at hand or even a rest stop along a highway. So they have to carry their offices around with them, so to speak.
The first time I really remember encountering this concept was in the late 1990’s at a conference in New Hampshire. The guest speaker was Rev. Ralph Moore, of Hope Chapel in Hawaii, a prominent authority in Churchplanting. I had the privilege of sitting with him at lunch and he explained to us that he was never absent from his pulpit on Sunday, but that he used a PDA to write his sermons while on the road. He would email the completed text to his secretary in Hawaii, who would print it out for him, When he arrived back in his office a the end of the week it was sitting on his desk waiting for him.
What does it take to do ministry today? What tools do you need? How much space does it take up and how difficult is it to set up and take down? In my situation I have an old AST soft-sided laptop case which has the following items in it.
My PDA, a Palm Tungsten. The Infrared Wireless Keyboard for the PDA. Extra AA batteries and device chargers. My cell phone and Bluetooth earphone . A hymnal and my Bible. A notepad, business cards, pencils and a pen. A small selection of cards, envelopes and stamps. There you have it. An office which weighs under 5 pounds, fits in a small laptop case, is quick to set up and quick to take down.
The typical tools a pastor might use are growing smaller and more convenient. This has ‘saved my bacon’ more than once. On one particular occasion I was bringing our teens on a Saturday to a Bible Quizzing Tournament about 45 minutes away, and was intending to swing by home and work on finalizing arrangements for Sunday, then coming back to pick them up. Upon reaching our destination we literally had a blizzard, and I knew that my plans were not going to work. I had my virtual office with me and all my files loaded, so I found a quiet corner and got to work. By the time our tournament was done, all my work was completed and I just had to go home and print off a few documents.
Some of the newer tools are becoming even more useful and more powerful. Netbooks are increasing in popularity (more on these later), allowing easy connection to the internet through WiFi, a built-in keyboard and more laptop-like power and speed. Laptops themselves are smaller and more powerful. All-in-one handheld devices like the Blackberry are evolving into more useful platforms. WiFi hotspots are, in some areas, almost universally available to allow easy connections.
Do you have a ‘virtual office’? What do you see as being necessary to life on the road?
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Review: "www.Handheldministry.org"
Title: "www.Handheldministry.org"
Format: Website
Website: http://www.handheldministry.org/index.html
Site offering tips, tricks and ideas for using a handheld device in ministry.
PROS
In-depth reviews for what is available.
Good tips, tricks and ideas.
CONS
Website appears to be badly out of date. Most information is rather old.
SUMMARY
I would give this one an 5.0 out of 10.0. There are alot of great tips and ideas here which are applicable despite the age of the material. However, the site is out of date and no new reviews appear to be forthcoming. Visit this site, glean what you can from it and move on.
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Format: Website
Website: http://www.handheldministry.org/index.html
Site offering tips, tricks and ideas for using a handheld device in ministry.
PROS
In-depth reviews for what is available.
Good tips, tricks and ideas.
CONS
Website appears to be badly out of date. Most information is rather old.
SUMMARY
I would give this one an 5.0 out of 10.0. There are alot of great tips and ideas here which are applicable despite the age of the material. However, the site is out of date and no new reviews appear to be forthcoming. Visit this site, glean what you can from it and move on.
.
Review: www.Olivetree.Com
Title: "Olive Tree"
Format: Website
Website: http://www.olivetree.com/
Commercial site offering downloads for Mobile Devices, with many free downloads available.
PROS
Extensive offering including Bible versions, commentaries, study tools and eBooks.
Many free downloads.
Easy navigation to find software compatible with your device.
Wesleyan materials are available as well as Calvinist.
CONS
Some items are for purchase only (to be expected...this is not a non-profit company!)
SUMMARY
I would give this one an 9.0 out of 10.0. In the words of their website, "With Olive Tree's trademark BibleReader software, which comes free with any Bible download, all of these translations are fully searchable. You won't need a concordance since you can look up every occurrence of a word or phrase of Scripture in seconds. With the Palm, Pocket PC, or Smartphone BibleReader, you can create bookmarks, take notes on a verse, and quickly and easily customize your screen layout to best suit your needs."
This is a great tool for the pastor on-the-go. Some of the translations are available only as purchase (such as the NIV for $24.95 or the NCV for $16.00)
This website should be your first stop when looking for Bible software for your mobile device.
Format: Website
Website: http://www.olivetree.com/
Commercial site offering downloads for Mobile Devices, with many free downloads available.
PROS
Extensive offering including Bible versions, commentaries, study tools and eBooks.
Many free downloads.
Easy navigation to find software compatible with your device.
Wesleyan materials are available as well as Calvinist.
CONS
Some items are for purchase only (to be expected...this is not a non-profit company!)
SUMMARY
I would give this one an 9.0 out of 10.0. In the words of their website, "With Olive Tree's trademark BibleReader software, which comes free with any Bible download, all of these translations are fully searchable. You won't need a concordance since you can look up every occurrence of a word or phrase of Scripture in seconds. With the Palm, Pocket PC, or Smartphone BibleReader, you can create bookmarks, take notes on a verse, and quickly and easily customize your screen layout to best suit your needs."
This is a great tool for the pastor on-the-go. Some of the translations are available only as purchase (such as the NIV for $24.95 or the NCV for $16.00)
This website should be your first stop when looking for Bible software for your mobile device.
Review: "Bible Reader" for PalmOS
Title: "Bible Reader"
Author: AsaiSoft Limited
Format; Electronic download
Website: http://www.AsaiSoft.com
PDA Bible version for PalmOS
PROS
Download is free
Easy to use
Various commentaries and translations are available
CONS
Hard to find; company website has disappeared.
SUMMARY
I would give this one an 8.5 out of 10.0. As one person said, just having the capability of carrying your Bible on an SD card or in active memory on a PDA is almost worth the cost of the PDA! This is an excellent Bible program, the main disadvantage is that it is now a hard-to-find commodity.
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Author: AsaiSoft Limited
Format; Electronic download
Website: http://www.AsaiSoft.com
PDA Bible version for PalmOS
PROS
Download is free
Easy to use
Various commentaries and translations are available
CONS
Hard to find; company website has disappeared.
SUMMARY
I would give this one an 8.5 out of 10.0. As one person said, just having the capability of carrying your Bible on an SD card or in active memory on a PDA is almost worth the cost of the PDA! This is an excellent Bible program, the main disadvantage is that it is now a hard-to-find commodity.
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